


Trust fund party

by Asparkofh



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: I imagined this to be before the events in Mysmes, M/M, They go to the same party - accidentally, Zen is dragged along by a friend and then bumbs into Jumin, kinda open ended ??, trust fund kid party that is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:48:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24321550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asparkofh/pseuds/Asparkofh
Summary: Zen might have been over exaggerating when he said he knows all about trust fund kids and their stupid parties. It's his own fault for being dragged along to one when his friend's girlfriend extends an invitation to him. Though thankfully it's not like Jumin will ever find out that he is practically trying to imitate him at this party so out of his comfort zone. Right?
Relationships: Han Jumin/Zen | Ryu Hyun
Kudos: 43





	Trust fund party

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this while listening to "broken" by lovelytheband so I'd suggest listening to that while reading.  
> Other than that, enjoy !  
> Feel free to tell me what you thought, I'd love to know, 
> 
> Asparkofh

It's a stupid idea. What Zen knows about rich people comes from offhanded comments from Jumin and those reality tv shows he enjoyed when he was younger. From that small pool of knowledge he does know that his suit is too underwhelming. It cost more than his groceries does for a month, but compared to Jumin's custom made ones it's nothing. 

"This is a bad idea" he voices aloud. Sei, one of his old school friends, stands next to him in a secondhand suit trying to look bored. The door in front of them beeps and lets them in. Sei opens the door for him. 

"Oh shut up, you agreed to coming. Besides with that Mr trust fund kid you're always talking about this should be a breeze" Sei complains and they step into an elevator that's fancier than anything he owns. It's old fashioned, like the rest of the house is, but still modernized enough to work perfectly. 

"I do not talk about him all the time! It's not like we're close" he mutters the last part. He doubts this is Jumin's scene or even close to Jumin's line of priorities. It’s too insignificant and unnecessary for the ceo in line for C&R. He was still surprised to notice just how much was owned by C&R. 

"You do too. I still don't get why you won't just tell me who it is honestly. He can't be that important" Sei rolls his eyes, but it's all good. They've known each other for far too long to not bicker like this. It would also make sense that he wondered about this mysterious trust fund kid he sometimes mentions, in annoyance only. 

"Just trust me on this, you don't want to know" he says. It's not like Jumin has forbidden him from mentioning they know each other so the excuse is totally unnecessary, but for some reason he sticks with the nickname. If people knew he knows Jumin they would just ask him about Jumin instead. The last thing he wants is people thinking he’s going to give away Jumin’s secrets to some tabloid or another. Even if he somehow had any of Jumin’s secrets in the first place, he didn’t quite dislike him enough for something like that. 

Sei opens the elevator door to revel a gorgeous attic apartment. It's huge, way bigger than his shirty apartment. It's decorated with serval paintings and sculptures. Some of it looks old and he wouldn't doubt that it's worth more than he is. If he didn’t know it was a private apartment he might have thought it was a gallery of some kind. 

"Sei!" A girl their age hurries over. She's dressed in a detailed red dress and even with heels she's shorter than them. Her smile is big and it seems genuine enough. She's holding a wine glass that she easily balances in her hand as she more or less bounces over to them. 

"Sara hi" Sei lights up at the sight of her. Nothing better than to be reminded of the fact that he's single. 

"And you must be Zen, it's so great to meet you" Sara smiles warmly at him, like he too has earned a smile that warm. She's different so far from Jumin, but from what he knew Jumin knew how to act like this too when needed be. He's not won over yet. 

"Yes it is nice to meet you Your apartment is lovely, thank you for the invite" he hopes it's formal enough. It's practically just stealing Jumin's way of speaking, but it's not like Jumin will ever know. Besides he has a feeling Jumin would take imitation as flattery. He has that feeling from first hand experience so he trusts that. 

"I'm glad you like it. It is just my summer apartment of course, you should see my winter one it's so cosy now that I’ve finally gotten around to decorating. Anyway feel free to look around, mingle some. There's wine" she tells him with a smile. Of course she has more than one apartment. He knows Jumin just has his house, but that's practically a mansion for one person. 

"Thanks" he says to the air as Sara drags Sei off somewhere. Oh well. It can't be so bad. Jumin seems to handle parties like this, business parties Jumin's voice in his head reminds him, so he could too. Right? 

He's not the type to drink wine, never really picked up the taste for it. If he wanted to get drunk he wanted something that burned more than wine or some cheap beer brand from a convenience store. Wine was too sweet, too intrusive, no matter how many times Jumin tells him there's different types. He skips the wine table and starts to look around instead. 

There are several small groups of people all around the apartment. The biggest of said group stands in front of a painting on the wall. It's a huge one reaching almost to the floor from the ceiling and it is of an awfully normal building. Nothing too special. Then everyone around it laughs, like the painting could be that fun. Perhaps he’s missing something, that he could believe, or perhaps it wasn’t the painting itsöef that were so funny. There's a person in front of it, seemingly talking about the painting making everyone around laugh. Wait hang on, he knows that suit and that ridiculous haircut. He knows that person. 

He's walking across the room before he realizes he's doing it. He should have a plan some part of him reminds him, the logical part surely, he should have thought about something to say. The two people in front of him move to give him space and he just stands there. Like he belongs, like he's a trust fund kid too. 

Jumin doesn't notice him at first. He's talking about the painting so it must be important, with a wine glass in hand and an easy smile. People laughs at what must be jokes and he tries to hum along. The girls are twirling their hair and looking at him with stars in their eyes. Jumin seems more interested in the painting from his perspective. 

"Of course that's only one theory, but I do think it would make sense for the time period it is speculated to be from. Zen?" Jumin trails off as their eyes meet. His perfect composure slips or at the very least his easy smile turns into a confused one. Perhaps that’s just acting as well, he really wouldn’t put it past Jumin at this point. That easy smile must be some part of this act, the personality that stands in front of paintings and makes people laugh. If he hadn’t gone to this party Jumin might have complained about how boring this party was in the messenger and he would have surely have teasingly asked why he even attended it then. He chuckles as all eyes in the group in front of the painting turns to him. 

"Hey" he says and wants to hit himself for doing so. Hey? What does that explain?  
Jumin looks like he has a hundred questions, but only for a second. Only for that second their eyes meet. Then the smile on Jumin's face looks like it never left. Jumin takes a sip from his wine glass. It's red and probably expensive. That's about as much wine knowledge he has. 

"I didn't realize you would be here, it's been too long" Jumin says. It's the perfect wording. Jumin is not outing him for not fitting in at the scene. He's almost grateful for some reason he doesn't have time to think more about. 

"It was kinda a last minute decision actually. I just got here" he admits. He regrets not accepting a wine glass to have something to hold. What is he supposed to do with his hands? He must be quite a sight like this, the obvious odd one out that somehow knows the Jumin Han on a first name bases. 

"Let me show you around then" it's perfectly chivalrous of Jumin, the kind of thing he supposes friends would do. He gets the feeling that everyone staring at him isn't supposed to be a thing. When Jumin starts to leave he just follows him along. 

He's lead to a vase, a beautiful light blue one that goes to his knees. It probably has a history that Jumin could present if he was asked to. 

"So what are you doing here?" Jumin asks. His tone is completely different, but his body language stays the same. Jumin is trying to keep up appearances. For who he doesn't know. 

"I'm friends with the host's boyfriend. He asked me to come along" that's really all there is to it. Jumin doesn't need to know that the reason Sei thought he was fit to come along was because he knew him. That would be awkward. 

"I see" is all Jumin answers and takes another sip of the wine. He would be worried, but Jumin barely drinks anything. Maybe that's just for appearances too, but he does know that Jumin has a genuine interest in wine. 

"What are you doing here? I don't know this scene feels kinda small for you" he asks. It's too informal, the kind of thing he would ask if they were actually friends happening to run into each other at a party. To his surprise Jumin chuckles. 

"Yes I suppose it would seem so. You’re right too I wouldn't be here, but my father asked. The host is the daughter to the CEO to one of the smaller companies we own. Besides most people here are my peers. I should get along with them" Jumin tells him. Even he realizes that Jumin phrases it very specifically. If anyone else in his life had told him that he wouldn’t have thought any more about it, but this is Jumin Han. Jumin doesn't make mistakes no matter how small or insignificant they would seem to him. Word choice is one of those things that Jumin would never let himself slip on. They’re these words for a reason even if he doesn't know Jumin enough to figure said reason out. 

"Did you go to school with them?" He asks. Jumin phrases things so specifically that he isn't sure what to ask first. The look on Jumin's face tells him a clear no. Jumin holds up a hand in front of his mouth and tries not to laugh. 

"They're nowhere near qualified enough to go there" Jumin tells him and there's something in his tone that he can't decipher. He isn't sure if Jumin looks down on these people for it or if he's jealous. 

He knows very little about the school Jumin went to. What he knows comes from V, who talks about it offhandedly very rarely. Now when he thinks about it, what does he really know about their school? It was a pretentious one on an island in the middle of nowhere where only very high status children were allowed. It didn't sound great. He had just assumed that Jumin liked it as it seemed so in character, but then again what he did he really know about Jumin? He has to admit that it was just something he had chalked up to being one those those things Jumin had experienced because he was rich kid. For the first time he feels uncertainty about it. He knows that V didn't like the school, that much was obvious from the short information he did give out. Why had it always seem so obvious that Jumin had liked it?

“So are you having fun?” His question ignores just about everything he actually wants to ask. He wants to ask if Jumin liked his school, but he doubts he would get anything more than a well practiced line Jumin might as well give the press. 

“Depends” is all Jumin answers. It would make him sound pretentious, if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s probably honest. He’ll take it at this point, he’ll take anything that isn’t practiced easy smiles and memories lines. 

“Depends on what?” He’s learning more about the trust fund kid this last half hour than he’d learned the last year. He’s not about to let the moment pass just like that. If Jumin is willing to answer even somewhat honestly he was going to take advantage of that. 

“On what you want me to answer” Jumin tells him, so monotone Jumin must be doing it on purpose. It’s not surprising to hear something like that from Jumin. It’s the kind of thing that used to throw him off in the beginning, but he’s learnt quickly that this is just who Jumin is. Changing personality to become what the person in front of him wants is simply a skill to use for him. A tool he can pick up whenever he wants to. He suddenly has to wonder if Jumin is just as good an actor as he is. 

“I want the truth. That’s why I asked” he clarifies. He has a feeling the truth matters little to Jumin, in the way that he has learnt to bend it where he wants it to be.  
Jumin coughs and takes a step to the side before taking another back. Putting his composure back together perhaps. 

“No” Jumin says with a smile he can only interpret as bittersweet. He is doing a lot of that around Jumin he realizes, interpreting. 

“No what?” He isn’t quite sure what Jumin is saying no to. Answering his question would his best guess. There is no reason for Jumin to answer him truthfully, expect perhaps it’s what he wants from Jumin. 

“No I’m not having fun. Then again these parties are not for fun” Jumin tells him and he does believe that it’s the truth. It’s the kind of truth Jumin would never tell anyone because nobody wants to hear it. No one expect him maybe. 

“Oh” he should say something profound here, but he can’t come up with anything. Something to make Jumin want to tell the truth with him more, with his answer definitely doesn’t do. To his surprise Jumin’s smile grows kinder. 

“Come one. We’ve been standing here for too long. Follow me” Jumin is right, this vase can’t be that interesting. This too is just Jumin keeping up appearances, but it’s different now. 

He blames the fact that he follows Jumin at the heel on the fact that he hasn’t been here before. Whatever curiosity he has is an effective excuse. He tries to ignore that he knows it’s an excuse. 

Jumin leads him past the living room and into a smaller type corridor. They stop in front of a painting. It’s a modern piece, with some kind of red swirl. He has never been good with modern art, has never been able to read between the swirls. Isn’t it just circles with motions? 

“I have a painting by the same artist at my house” Jumin tells him. Being alone now Jumin has dropped some more appearances. Casually leaning against the wall makes the entire situation more normal. He isn’t sure if he can fit Jumin into the normal box or if the presumed normalcy makes the situation stranger. 

Jumin swirls his wineglass, but doesn’t drink from it. 

“Do you actually like wine?” He asks, ignoring what Jumin had just said. The painting doesn’t feel very important or worth discussing. He assumes it’s the kind of thing Jumin is usually expected to say. An attempt as some normalcy perhaps. 

“I do. Not this kind, but I do” Jumin clarifies with a smile that’s almost mischievous. He realizes a second later what Jumin means by that. It’s too cheap for Jumin Han, the ceo in line to C&R. He doesn't find the usual anger bubble up, instead he grins. 

“Wow can you be more pretentious?” He asks, but there is laughter in his voice and Jumin tips his glass in his direction in acknowledgement. 

“I do appreciate that you speak your mind. Not many people do that” Jumin says. He almost wants to say that of course they don’t, most people around Jumin works for him. For once he finds himself biting his tongue, the very thing Jumin just praised him for not doing. 

“Wow did you just compliment me? Because I think that was a compliment” he teases because he doesn’t know what else to say. Teasing has been their way of communicating for so long that he doesn’t know how to turn it off. 

Jumin laughs at his comment and he feels oddly accomplished about that. He has gotten Jumin to laugh before, surely he has, but now it’s lighter. He is making the party better, at least he hopes so. 

Zen kisses him. Maybe it’s because they’re standing so close, maybe it’s because he’s learnt more this evening about Jumin than the entire time he’s known him and maybe it’s because he doesn’t hate what he learns.  
He can taste the lingering wine. It’s not bad. In fact it’s perfect in a way he wants his life to be when Jumin kiss him back. He can practically feel the shock and surprise before there’s a soft hand in his hair and Jumin is actually kissing him back. 

It’s perfect until Jumin takes a step back, now looking around for some sort of invisible threat. There’s nobody here. They’re alone in this corridor that he doesn’t know where it leads and everything is quiet except for their breathing. Jumin fixes his already perfect tie. He can only imagine what it costs. 

“What you scared to taint your reputation?” He teases. It’s supposed to be teasing, he wants the tension to go back to normal. Instead Jumin looks at him like he just spoke Latin. Bad example, he’s pretty sure Jumin knows Latin and like six other languages. 

“My reputation is me” Jumin tells him. It’s stating a fact just like speaking about the weather is a fact. It makes more sense than he wants to admit. Jumin values work because work determines his value. It reminds him of himself, that line of thinking. Workaholic someone might suggest, but everyone in the RFA would practically fit the same definition so no one really has any ground to stand on to call anyone out. 

“Right, how could I forget?” This time his teasing isn’t as lighthearted, the bitterness slipping into his voice. 

“Zen I have a reputation to uphold because I have to. Sometimes the truth can’t be told aloud. If you want to spend your time at scenes like this one you would do well to remember that” Jumin advises him. If he wasn’t already mad, perhaps he would have heard how drilled te advice sounds. Almost like Jumin is telling it more to himself and not for the first time. 

“I’m not a trust fund kid and clearly I don’t belong at scenes like this. I’ll see you at the messenger I guess” he turns to walk away, wondering if anything he learnt tonight was a good thing. If he could go back and Sei asked him to come along, would he say yes? Is it just self torture that makes him say yes? 

“Zen. If things were different I would have. Yeah. I'll see you” Jumin doesn't finish the sentence and he doesn't have to. If things were different were perhaps the most chilce thing he’s ever heard in real life. 

“Well things aren’t randomly going to change any time soon, as well as I know. That’s not how relationships work y’know?” He says, like he needs to explain anything to Jumin about how relationships work. The man has been avoiding them his entire life. 

“You want to be in a relationship with me?” Jumin sounds so surprised he almost laughs. 

“Yeah I don’t just go around kissing people at parties if that’s what you think. Look I know there are so many things we can’t change and we are not going to in the near future either. Our circumstances will probably stay the same, but what I want is to face those together. That sounded so stupid I’m sorry. Well I’m not sorry per say, but there must be better ways to say that” if he is supposed to know some grand speech about asking people out, he can’t remember any of them at this moment. 

“I’m not easy to be around” Jumin says and if he didn’t know any better Jumin is trying to convince him not to date him. Is that what’s happening here? He laughs. 

“No kidding, neither am I join the club”.

“I think I’m already in RFA” Jumin teases and he laughs. He’s all too right, all of the members in RFA are difficult in their own right. 

“True that” he smiles.


End file.
